Luke Timothy Johnson — “For Our Salvation”

According to Johnson, what kind of salvation did Jesus not bring?

Jesus did not bring salvation that was simply about:

• Correcting mistaken human ideas, or

• Fixing oppressive social structures.

Christian salvation is deeper than political or social change and ultimately comes from God.

What do we notice when we listen to what the earliest Christians said about salvation?

They talked about salvation as something they had already experienced and were continuing to experience.

How did early Christians describe salvation?

Even though they were a small and persecuted group, they described salvation using ideas such as:

• Freedom

• Liberation

• Redemption

• Free speech

• Peace

• Joy

• Love

They believed that they were already being saved.

What does Johnson mean when he says salvation is both “a liberation from a negative condition” and “the gift of a positive one”?

Negative → what we are freed FROM:

• Sin

• Fear

• Death

• Oppressive forces

Positive → what we receive:

• Freedom

• Courage

• Peace

• Joy

• New life